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AeroVironment Inc. (Monrovia, Calif., USA) announced on July 26 that it has received a Restricted Category rating for its Puma AE small unmanned aircraft system (UAS) from the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA). The first-of-its-kind certificate permits operators to fly Puma for commercial missions, such as oil spill monitoring and ocean surveys, in the North Slope region of the Arctic.

Prior to this Restricted Category type certificate being issued, it was not possible to operate an unmanned aircraft system in the national airspace for commercial operations. Although a potential user could obtain an experimental airworthiness certificate, the certificate specifically excluded and did not authorize the use of an unmanned aircraft system for commercial operations.

“This certificate represents an aviation milestone that could not have happened without the FAA’s vision and leadership,” says Tim Conver, AeroVironment chairman and chief executive officer. “Aerial observation missions can now be safely accomplished in hazardous Arctic locations, which will reduce the risk of manned aviation in an efficient, cost-effective and environmentally friendly manner. We believe initial operations in the Arctic can lead to long-term broad adoption for similar applications elsewhere in the United States and throughout the world.”

AeroVironment expects Puma AE to be deployed later this summer to support emergency response crews for oil spill monitoring and wildlife observation off the coast of the Beaufort Sea in the Arctic Circle.

Researchers and other entities now will be able to perform aerial observation at significantly lower operational costs compared to manned aircraft. Puma AE also gives personnel the ability to immediately obtain and analyze aerial monitoring data because they will be able to hand launch Puma AE whenever needed, giving them a new option to traditional methods, such as manned aircraft, support ships and satellites.

The 13-lb/5.9-kg Puma AE unmanned aircraft system does not require any infrastructure, such as runways, launching pads, or recovery devices. It is man-portable and can be assembled in minutes, hand-launched and recovered on sea or land. This marks the first time the FAA has approved a hand-launched unmanned aircraft system for commercial missions.